Friends, family pray for return of missing student, Army veteran

Olivia Romero of Garden Grove, left, niece of missing Cal State Fullerton student and Army veteran Maribel Ramos, holds a candle with Maribel Ramos' cousin Andrea Ramos Leonardo of Fullerton during a prayer and candlelight vigil Monday night at Calvary Church of Santa Ana where Maribel Ramos attended church. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Catherine Ward, right, hugs a friend before the start of a prayer and candlelight vigil at Calvary Church of Santa Ana for Maribel Ramos, a Cal State Fullerton student and Army veteran who was reported missing on May 3. Catherine Ward is the program coordinator for veterans student services at Cal State Fullerton. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Maribel Ramos

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Family and friends of missing Cal State Fullerton student and Army veteran Maribel Ramos hold hands and pray at Calvary Church of Santa Ana where Ramos attended church during a prayer and candlelight vigil Monday night. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Frank Campos of Westminster, cousin of missing Cal State Fullerton student and Army veteran Maribel Ramos, wipes a tear from his face as he talks about his cousin while his wife, Cynthia Campos stands next to him during a prayer and candlelight vigil Monday night at Calvary Church of Santa Ana. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Family and friends of missing Cal State Fullerton student and Army veteran Maribel Ramos gather for a a prayer and candlelight vigil at Calvary Church of Santa Ana where Ramos attended church. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Mike Gonzales gives his wife, Claudia Gonzales of Santa Ana, a hug during a prayer and candlelight vigil for missing Cal State Fullerton student and Army veteran Maribel Ramos at Calvary Church of Santa Ana. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Pastor David Mitchell leads the crowd that gathered for a candlelight vigil in prayer for missing Cal State Fullerton student and Army veteran Maribel Ramos at Calvary Church of Santa Ana. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Sergio Lopez hugs his fiance Hidy Aguilar during a candlelight vigil for missing Cal State Fullerton student and Army veteran Maribel Ramos at Calvary Church of Santa Ana. Aguilar was a co-worker of Ramos at Cal State Fullerton, veterans certification department. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

Olivia Romero of Garden Grove, left, niece of missing Cal State Fullerton student and Army veteran Maribel Ramos, holds a candle with Maribel Ramos' cousin Andrea Ramos Leonardo of Fullerton during a prayer and candlelight vigil Monday night at Calvary Church of Santa Ana where Maribel Ramos attended church.STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

Maribel Ramos description

•Authorities described Ramos as a Latina, 5-foot-2, 130 pounds, with brown, shoulder-length hair, a tattoo of a star on her left shoulder and an "Aztec/tribal symbol" tattooed on her lower back.

•Police ask anyone with information to contact detective Joey Ramirez at 714-936-4501 or the Orange Police Department at 714-744-7403.

Visit: findmaribel.com

SANTA ANA – Friends and family of Maribel Ramos gathered Monday night for a candlelight prayer, urging the public to be vigilant in their search for the Army veteran and Cal State Fullerton student missing for 11 days.

"She has tons of people that love her," said her younger sister, Lucero Gonzalez, moments before the vigil began at Calvary Church of Santa Ana. "She wouldn't just leave us without any notice."

Tears began to roll down the faces of friends and family as they held hands and prayed for her safe return. Ramos attended Calvary Church and was involved in its outreach ministry.

"Prayer is very powerful, and we want to encourage each other and spread the word," Gonzalez said. "We are going to find her. That's the mission."

Ramos, 36, was last seen on security video about 8:30 p.m. May 2. The video shows her dropping off her rent check at the manager's apartment in the 1800 block of East Rose Street near Tustin Street, Orange police Sgt. Fred Lopez said. Her family reported her missing May 3 after she didn't show up to a softball game that day.

"It's not like Maribel to miss something important," said Ramos' cousin, Frank Campos, who became worried after she failed to show up to their game.

Detectives believe that the circumstances behind her disappearance are suspicious because she was about to graduate from Cal State Fullerton and had professional and personal commitments she missed, Lopez said, adding that detectives found no sign of violence at her home.

"She has no history of ever doing this before," Lopez said Monday. "She's a responsible adult. I don't think you walk away from everything without contacting anybody."

Ramos' car was left in at apartment complex, but her keys, cellphone and purse were missing, Gonzalez said. She left behind her dog, a Chihuahua mix.

Gonzalez said she heard from her sister on the evening of May 2 after she had returned from a trip to Chicago. Ramos, along with another veteran student and alumna, had taken part in a May 1 panel in Chicago that focused on transitioning from the military to the university, the Cal Sate Fullerton website said.

"She went to work on Thursday. They sent her home because she was tired. She came in from Chicago the night before," Gonzalez said.

It was 5:48 p.m. May 2 when Gonzalez said she received a text from Ramos to tell her she was resting.

Ramos is a criminal justice major who served in South Korea and Iraq from 2001 to 2008, the Cal State Fullerton website said.

She was listed among the veteran graduates to be recognized at the university's annual Veterans Appreciation Night on May 4, the day after she was reported missing.

Ramos, who served as an airborne paratrooper and has been described as a top student, is scheduled to graduate May 26. She had been offered "the job of her dreams," Gonzalez said.

She spoke at the Women Veterans in Higher Education Conference at Cal State Fullerton about her difficulties transitioning to civilian life after returning from Iraq and South Korea.

Ramos had said she spent months in counseling due to anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. In April, she was featured in an Orange County Register article for her work at the conference, which served to introduce women to counselors and educators.

Ramos worked for the Veterans Certification Office at Cal State Fullerton.

"We need to bring Maribel back. Maribel is due to graduate in two weeks. Let's help her make that happen," said Brenda Estrada, Ramos' supervisor and mentor. "Maribel fought for us for eight years. We need to bring her back. It's our time to show her that we can fight for her."

Register reporters Elysse James and Lauren Steussy contributed to this report.

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